In an interview with Chris van Vliet to promote this Sunday’s WWE: Tables, Ladders, Chairs & Stairs pay-per-view, WWE Superstar and current WWE Money in the Bank contract holder Seth Rollins discussed former WWE Champion CM Punk’s decision to enter the MMA world and join UFC, Vince McMahon’s comments about the “brass ring”, Sting debuting at WWE Survivor Series, being the first-ever WWE NXT Champion, what NXT star he is excited to see on the main roster, his reaction to winning the WWE Money in the Bank briefcase, Brock Lesnar, his dream match, The Authority and much more.
Highlights of the interview are below:
On CM Punk’s decision to join UFC: “Punk is a goal oriented kind of guy and he’s very driven, very focused, very passionate about what he puts his mind to and if he’s in love with something he’ll go after it 100%. He’s never had any experience from what I understand in an Octagon, I know that’s not going to sit too pretty with too many of the UFC fighters who have really worked their butts off to earn those contracts but Punk is a draw and he will prove that I promise you that when he fights people will pay to see it. As far as how well he’s going to fair, I can’t make any predictions. I’m not one to doubt the guy, he may pull through but he also may end in some sort of chokehold that he regrets. Either way I’m going to pay to see it and I think that’s the whole point.”
On Vince McMahon’s comments regarding a lack of ambition in the WWE locker room: “Vince was very kind to mention my name after he made that comment as one of the guys who is reaching for that proverbial brass ring. But at the same time to me, that really lit a fire under me and there’s a bunch of other ways I can say that but I don’t like hearing that. Even though I appreciate the fact that he did kind of separate a few of us from the pack when talking about that situation, at the same time you have to understand how badly I do want it and how ambitious I’ve been my entire life in getting to this point. It hasn’t just been for me a situation where I went from A to Z, I’ve had all of these letter in between and all of these opportunities in between that I’ve been able to turn into successful situations for me. Now here we are and I’m main eventing with John Cena at TLC in a tables match. So for anyone to say that I’m not reaching for a brass ring or whatever you want to call it is just asinine at this point. All I’ve ever done my entire life is dedicate it to professional wrestling, to WWE and if I’m certainly if not holding onto that brass ring, I’m reaching to grab it. I know what Vince was doing and I understand what he was saying. Do I agree with it? Not so much.”
On Sting’s WWE debut at Survivor Series: “Over the course of my few years in the WWE I’ve had the opportunity to share the ring with a lot of legends, but Sting is one of those guys that you never really think you’re going to get the opportunity to share the ring with someone who has never stepped foot inside a WWE ring before. That’s one of those beyond bucket list things to be honest with you because growing up you say ‘I’d love to have a match with that guy, or I’d love to be in the ring with him’ but Sting didn’t even seem like it was in the realm of possibility. So for that to go down for me, a kid who dressed up and painted my face as Sting multiple years in a row in my teenage years, to be able to share a ring with that piece of crap that cost me my win at Survivor Series is pretty awesome.”
On Brock Lesnar as WWE Champion and the reaction to him not defending the title often: “He’s in a different situation. You’re entirely right that if I cash in on him and become the Champion, I’ll be there every single night, every single live event, every single Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown and every Pay Per View. He’s in a different place right now and that’s not the kind of schedule he wants to keep at his ripe old age but that’s neither here nor there and that’s not my call so I just do what I can to make the best of my situation and try not to worry about what he’s up to.”
